Where do we go from here 7: stories and lullabies
by zantha19
Summary: Katara and Toph are looking after Sokka and Sukis one year old. a child who hates silence and has to talked too all the time. What is this forced monologue going to bring up, set in motion. This is the first new part added to the now 20 part story.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. This is part seven of the on going story that I am rewriting at the minute. In addiction to rewriting the fifth-teen parts that I have already rewritten, I am going to be adding five new parts to the story, this is the first. I am adding the five parts as in going over the story I realised that I focused mainly on the main plot, do I am adding the new parts, in some cases to ad more of the other characters that I didn't deal with. In this case it would be Katara and Toph's relationship, as I never did much with Katara when I first wrote the story. So as I am making this up as I go along with no deal plan, except I have one thing I want to do, and how I am going to end it to link to the next part, I am open to any ideas. So let me know if you have any, it would be very helpful. **

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The screams of the very vocal one year old filled the entire house. Katara held her nephew a little closer to her, as she kept rocking him from side to side. Suki had said that this always worked, she had also said that he wouldn't wake till much later in the afternoon. It seemed that the loving aunt would have to take what her nephew's parents told her about how good a baby he was with a pinch of salt. "There, there Suten. Mummy and daddy will be back soon." her own words, don't worry he wont be any problem at all, rang in her head. What an idiot she was. She lowered her head to whisper in the baby's ear. "Please be quite for aunty Katara and aunty Toph."

"Oh no you don't. Do not drag me into this any more than you already have. This was all your idea, you deal with it." Toph had been lying on the couch hiding her head under a pillow. Katara had thought she was asleep, and was a little shocked to hear her voice and she her head pop up into view.

The waterbender now allowed herself to sink into the chair in the corner of the room, with Suten trying to pull her hair loop out. "Oh give it a rest will you. I know that being called aunty may make you feel uncomfortable, because it implies that you are part of a family, something I know you hate, but just get over it and help me instead of complaining."

"One sweetness, well done in growing a pair and standing up to me. Two I was not complaining, and Three I only agreed to make this little detour because you kept going on and on..."

"OK! Toph I get it." the older girl know fell back leaning against the wall. You looked so defeated. It hadn't been a day, not even a day and she was already starting to lose it. Sokka and Suki were only going to be gone for two days, it hadn't seemed so long when she had talked them into going away for a break to visit an old friend of Suki's, now it seemed a life time. She just had to get through the rest of today and tomorrow then they would be back early the next morning.

Toph finally got to her feet, and walked towards the aunt and nephew. "Why don't you just tell him a story or something. Sokka said he liked to be talked to." she didn't stop walking as she spoke, she just kept walking towards the large slid door that lead out of the house. Suten had been quite while his two babysitters had been talking, but now he again began to cry again louder than before.

Reluctantly Katara pulled herself onto her feet, resting Suten's head on her shoulders. She gentle rocked him again, but like before it did little good. As much as she hated to admit it Toph's idea of talking to him, telling him a story seemed like a good idea. He had been quite while they had been talking, maybe just like his father he didn't like silence and tried to fill it. Katara searched her mind for any story she remembered being told as a child, but none came. "Do you want to hear a story." in response to the question, Suten spit up a little. "I'll guess I'll have to take that as a yes." Katara picked up one of Suten's blankets that needed washed from the pile by the door to clean her shoulder with. While she did she tough of all that she and the others had been through during the war. they were always been asked for stories about that, but These where not the best material for stories to tell a one year old, but she figured that it didn't matter, he just wanted to hear a voice anyway. "once there was a brave group of warriors that were journeying to a far off land, a journey that was filled with many dangers they made this dangerous journey because..." that's were she stopped. She didn't feel right going on with the story. Even though he wouldn't understand her, she didn't feel right telling a one year old about a journey to end a war, were many had died and that as they believed at the time would be ended with the death of the fire lord.

If he just wanted to hear a voice they she could just talk to him about anything. Her first thought had been to just talk about Aang and Zuko, there was plenty she could say about them, but that would lead her back to the war and all that, that included. She finally settled on telling him about his father and her childhood. "Your father and I grew up in the south pole, we..." she again found herself unable to go on. There would be a time to tell him all about his family, his grandmother this was not it. Katara also felt that a lot of that he should hear from Sokka not her.

That left her with only one topic she could think of to talk about, that wouldn't lead her down a dead end if she was careful. "Your Aunt Toph is a earthbender, a very good one. Maybe you will be one one day too, and she could teach you. She taught the avatar, like I did. I think it was harder for her though. They don't always see things the same way." when she realised what she just said she let out a little laugh, at being able to get a way with a slip like that without Toph hearing and making a sarcastic comment. Unfortunate as she laughed a little, Suten cried a lot. He was telling her to keep going. "They are very different people, your aunt Toph and uncle Aang, they do have something in common though. They hate being told what to do, being stuck in the same place for to long. They both act like they don't really care much for each other, but I can tell they do care. They changed..."

Katara almost froze as she hear the door being opened as Toph returned to the house. She had her back to the door and had almost been caught taking about Toph behind her back. The fact that it was a one year old that she was talking to wouldn't matter to Toph. "sides realising they were being lied to by the evil king. With the new followers the brave prince was able to get everyone in the country to rise up against the king. The king fearing the treatment he would be given if he didn't back down, did so. The prince took the throne married the beautiful princess from another land, and had his father sent to live out the rest of his life on a island far from land. With only one servant to look after him."

while Katara had been trying to make up the end of the happy story she had never started in the first place, Toph walked over to the kitchen area without saying a word. She was caring a small sack in her right hand. She opened on the work surface to reveal six red apples, two of which almost rolled onto the floor. Pulling out the silver dagger with engravings on the handle that she had taken from a fire nation noble that once held it to her throat, when she was engaged to Zuko, Toph started to peal and Cut the apples. "With everything that we have been through, all the stuff I missed out on, and that is the best story you have to tell."

Katara now sat at the table that separated the cooking and living area of the house. Suten was placed on her knee, as she gentle pumped him up and down, by tapping her feet on the floor. "I didn't think telling him some of that stuff was the best idea. He's only one."

placing one of the pieces of apple in her mouth as she placed the rest into a bowl, Toph moved to sit at the table across from the aunt and nephew. "You are too overprotective. He will have to hear all that stuff at some point. At lest you would sugar coat it, sugar queen." Toph was now mashing the apple in the bowl into a muss for Suten's dinner.

"That's not really the point Toph." Toph had sled the bowl across the table to Katara, and was now leaning back in her chair. "Then what is. Come on, wasn't that part of why you gulited me into coming here with you. Because we haven't seen each other in so long." Toph's over dramatic fake tone as she spoke cased a slight frown to cross that older benders face as she tried not to rise to the protraction.

"The point is Toph that I don't really want to remember some of what we went through and I didn't want to talk about it either plus, We needed a break after the last few years. Aang is back and Zuko is getting on a lot better. We have earned it. That's why I wanted us to come here."

"Fair enough. For the record though, taking care of a one year old, not my idea of a break." Toph now got up from the table and started to walk away. "I'm going to bed."

"It's not that late."

"I know, but he is going to be up half the night crying, and will wake up first thing. This way I still get a doesn't about of time to sleep."

her mouth opened to say something, but no words came. She couldn't argue with the blind girl, she was right. Going to bed early was the only way to get any really sleep. "I hate it when she's right." she spoke in a whisper, but Suten seemed to hear her clearly as he looked up at her with his light brown eyes. "That doesn't matter though dose it, cause I just got the best idea for a bedtime story. You'll have to wait till after you have your bath first though."

Katara now moved over to the large bucket of water that Toph had collected earlier that day for Suten's bath. She may not do anything to help directly with Suten, but she seemed to be taking care of everything else. As she bathed the one year old Katara started to give a detailed guild to the basic waterbending forms, it was the only thing she could talk about for a long time and also be able to let her mind wonder.

There were two other rooms to the house. Suki and Sokka's bedroom that Suten also slept in, in hos own crib. The other had a small futon that pulled out. Katara would be sleeping on that, and Toph would sleep on the floor. The crib had also been moved into this room, as Suten had to be watched all the time according to Suki. Katara herself did find this a little unnecessary, but went along with it.

Once he was washed and dried Katara quietly made her way to the spare room. She expected to see Toph lying on the floor under the window sleeping, but the room was empty. As she walked into the room she saw a small black figure lying on the ground a few feet from the house. A faint smile crossed the waterbenders face. "Aunty Toph really doesn't like to be kept inside, Dose she." she looked down at the one year old she was balancing on her hip, as if she was waiting for him to respond, agree with her. Of course he didn't, he did though give a small smile at the mention of Toph's name. "So time for your bedtime story then."

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**thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. I know that this wasn't a very good or interesting chapter, but it will get better. This part of the story isn't a major one, but it will lead onto one of the main points in the story that I didn't do a lot with the first time round. The dagger Toph has is the one she got in part 5 of the story, she has kept it all this time and will keep it through out the story. You never know it may play an important role in the plot. Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. I would also love to hear if you have any ideas of this part of the story as well. **


	2. Chapter 2

Katara laid Suten down in his crib, wrapping the blanket around him more tightly. Kneeing down by the crib she gently rocked it back and forth. The sun had now set, the light was starting to fade from the sky. "Once there was a brave warrior. When he was a young man, his father told him of his destiny. The kingdom that they lived in was being controlled by a evil king. The evil king had stolen power form his older brother."

The words seemed to catch in her throat again. Even though she was turning them into characters from a child's bedtime story, the people that she was talking about were still very real. They were real people that she had known and with one exception cared about. Aang and Iroh weren't characters she could just talk about with no feeling. She had been quite for to long, Suten started to stir again, demanding her to go on. She knew the part of the story that she meant to talk about, the part that Suten would enjoy the most wasn't long away, she just had to get through this part. "The warriors destiny was to take back the throne for the true king. To do this he needed the help of a special kind of warrior, one that controlled the earth it's self. They could move mountains, with the wave of a hand, feel a persons emotions through the earth. There were many people how had this power, but his destiny was to find the most powerful one alive."

Pulling herself to her feet, she picked Suten up and held him close. He had been making noises letting her know he was still very awake. She looked out the window at the figure on the ground, which she knew was Toph sleeping. It was stupid she knew, but she just had to make sure that Toph wasn't going to be able to hear what she was saying before she went one. Toph had been born into a life were she was treated like a princess, she was also now officially a princess of the fire nation, both of these things Katara knew Toph was not happy about and didn't like to talk about. Therefore making Toph the princess in her story was not something she wanted the earthbender to know about. That was also whys she realised she had picked Suten up, for support. Also Toph couldn't, wouldn't try to hit her if she had a baby in her arms.

When she was reassured that Toph was probably asleep and couldn't hear what she was saying, she went on. "It so happened that the strongest earth warrior was a princess from a small neighbouring kingdom. This kingdom had remained out of the fighting, as their king, the princess father was a very cowardly man. He lost his wife, the queen when the princess was very young so he took special care to make sure the princess was kept safe. To do this he kept her in the palace grounds at all times. The princess as she grew older came to hate being confined. She also began to become aware of her ability to control the earth. Desperately wanting to learn more about her talent, she would sneak out of the palace at night to train herself in the mountains that surrounded the palace."

Suten was now beginning to close his eyes a little as sleep was nearing, but he was trying to keep them open wanting to hear the rest of the story. "when the princess came of age at sixteen, she was already an expert earth warrior and was completely self taught. A same group of warriors from her kingdom would aid the efforts of the other kingdoms true king regain his throne. The princess wanted to go with them, but was forced to stay. When she could she was disguise herself and add them as much as she could, but she couldn't go far, so her help was limited. Despite this her reputation grew, as did her skill. It was for this reason when the brave warrior began to ask about

who the strongest earth warrior was, he was answered with, that it was a mysterious warrior who added them when they could. The brave warrior then asked who this person was, they told him what they knew. That the person seemed to be small in size and always wore a black cloak that covered their face, their voice was also muffled so not much was known from that. The brave warrior stayed with the rebels for a few days, hoping that the strongest earth warrior would soon come. One night when he couldn't sleep he took a walk down to the nearby lake where he saw a area of earth being risen from the lake to crate a path across it. A small figure in a black cloak began to cross it. The brave warrior ran out across the path to meet the strongest earth warrior. He asked for their help, but the figure simple lowered their head as they shock it. They then turned and walked back the way they had came. When they realised the brave warrior was fallowing them, they sank part of the path that was between them back into the water, separating them. In the morning the brave warrior left the rebels and swam across the lake to track down the warrior, who's help he needed to help him in fulfilling his destiny."

It was now almost impossible for Suten to keep his eyes open very much. Katara's voice had started to slow and become softer, as she realised how close to sleep the one year old was. She had started to plan the story out in her head while she told it, having only got the basic idea settled on before she started, now she realised she would have to wind it up soon. She knew that the best thing would be to just stop were she was and tell him the rest tomorrow night, but she felt an unknown need to finish it, so she decided to wrap it up quickly.

"The brave warrior fallowed the trail the earth warrior had left, he fallowed it all the way to the palace the princess lived in. he kept watch over the back gate till nightfall, when the warrior again left the place. Again the brave warrior pleaded with the strongest earth warrior in the world to help him, and again they refused. This time though they refused by removing their hood to look right in the eyes on the brave warrior, as the princess now faced him, she told him of the situation she was in. He reluctantly left her, but his heart had been taken by her bright green eyes and pale skin, he had already falling in love with her. The next day he marched right up to the palace and asked the king for his permission to take the princess away with him. The king of course refused, the brave warrior then told him of how strong the princess was, but the king didn't believe him. The king ordered his guards to remove the brave warrior, at this point the princess moved the floor under them to in case their legs stopping them from moving. Rising to her feet she walked to the brave warrior and told her father she loved him, but she had to leave now. The princess and the brave warrior left the palace, and journeyed to face the evil king on the brave warriors kingdom. They fought him and won, returning the throne the it's rightful owner. Soon afterwards the brave warrior married the princess, as she had fallen in love with him on their travels. In part this was because he given her what she always wanted more than anything, her freedom. They then lived happily ever after."

Katara finally layed Suten down in his crib again very gently, as not to wake him. He had just closed his eyes and with any luck he would fall asleep and sleep through the night. Once he was in the crib with his blanket wrapped around him, Katara found herself letting out a breath that she didn't realise she had been holding in as she let herself fall back onto the bed. Sleep would come quickly to the tired waterbender. She found her mouth was dry through, from the almost non stop talking she had been doing that day. She however was to tired to get up and get any water, even if there had been a water jug next to her she would have been to tired to bend any water to drink.

Sleep didn't come as easily for everyone that was staying in the house however. Toph had never been a good sleeper, she found it hard to get to sleep. That is what happened when you can feel an ants heart bear from a good few yards away. No one had noticed this much while they had been travelling, they had assumed that she slept very well as she never woke early, that in fact was due to the fact that she only managed to get to sleep in the early hours of the morning mostly. That was when things surprising were at there quiteist.

On this night Toph had drifted off to sleep for a little while, but was woken by a dream, these too were also becoming more common in her nigh-time routine. The dream had been about what had happened when she had gone back to find Kenshi alone after she found out about her really mother. Only this time she found she had the chance to change her actions. When she found she was going to do the something again she woke up. It was at this point that Katara was telling Suten all about the princess in her story. Toph knew full well who Katara was using as the inspiration for the princess, she also knew full well where the story was going, how it was going to end. Toph like almost all children had been told bedtime stories, to get them to sleep, in Toph's case however it was a maid that told them to her. Happily ever after, they all ended that way.

Toph never believed that, not even as a young child. That was to much of a complete definite ending, and Toph knew that nothing can just end like that, so clearly. Life was to messed up and complicated for that.

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**sorry it has been so long since the last chapter. I hope you like this one, and that this part of the story is a little more interesting now. I thought I should point out that the apart about Kenshi is in part 2 and talked about a little more near the end of part 4. also Toph's dreams are quit important, and always have a meaning to the next part in the story, or the part that is going on. There is also a reason for that, that will be given near the end of the whole story. Place review and let me know what you think, bye till next time. **


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Katara had woken and got Suten washed and dressed, the sun was already high in the sky. When she looked out of the window there was no sign of Toph at all. She tried listen out for any sound of her in the living area of the house, but there was nothing. The only sound seemed to be Suten grunting, she took that to mean that he was hungry. Katara then cared Suten out into the living area. in her best sing song voice she tried to get ask her nephew a question and get a reaction from him. "Do you think we should go and look for your auntie Toph."

"Right here sweetness." Toph's voice was heard before Katara saw her. Her head appeared over the couch, that she had been slumped down in. "His breakfast is ready." as Katara moved over to sit next to Toph on the couch she found that Toph had again been peeling apples and mashing them for Suten to eat. Toph held the bowl out to the waterbender as she sat next to her. though her bangs hid most of her eyes Katara was sure Toph had black bag's under them from lake of sleep.

"Thanks Toph." Katara tried to get Suten to eat the mashed Apples, but he kept his mouth tightly closed, and moved his head as far away from the spoon as he could. Katara started to worry he was going to force himself out of her hold and fall onto the floor. Toph who's nerves were already being stranded, from her dream the night before and therefore lack of sleep finally shaped.

"Give him hear." Before Katara had a chance to put the bowl down, Toph took Suten from her and placed him on her lap. To Katara's surprise she seemed to be able to deal with his squirming quit well. She had now taken the bowl and spoon resting them against her leg. She moved the spoon towards roughly were she knew Suten's face must be. The spoon them slowly moved around in front of his face, till it was in reach of his mouth and he could get it in his mouth. in one quite move he reached forward to the spoon, eating the apples on it.

"How did you..."

"Do you like to have food forced in your face. People like to decide things for themselves. When they do things, like eat for example." She had now managed to get Suten to eat half of the bowl of mashed apples. The whole time she had been feeding the one year old, her face had been facing the floor, now it moved to face Katara's general direction. "I heard your bedtime story last night."

Katara wasn't sure what to say, Toph's voice was telling her nothing about how the earthbender was feeling. Toph was very good at keeping calm in almost any situation, Katara was worried Toph never really lost her temper before she went all out in a fight. she seemed from what she could remember to have a eerie calm about her in those moments. The fact that Toph was still holding the baby in her arms reassured her a little, but only a little. "I'm sor..."

"I'm not angry Katara." Katara finally lifted her eyes, that had fallen to the ground. They met Toph's and she knew that Toph was telling the truth, she wasn't mad at her. "I just don't understand why you would use me and Aang in a story like that." Katara leaned back in the couch, trying to think of an answer. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that she didn't really know whey she told the story she did. It really just seemed like the easiest story to tell. "Katara." Toph was now getting a little annoyed of the silence and being ignored.

"Sorry, I don't really know why, it just made a good story."

"Aang and me made a good story, what about you and Aang, better yet you and Zuko. Two lover separated by their families and nations. Now that is a good story." once she finished talking she realised that Suten had stopped moving around on her knee. Now she was a little worried that he was reacting to his aunts feelings, that she had over stepped the line with her comment about her and Zuko. The words of apology were about to leave her mouth, but Katara cut her off.

"Yeah, that would make a good story. The thing is, its not a story, is it. Its my life. The story I told him last night wasn't a story, that was your life. I'm sorry." rather than trying to reach out to her friend, to maybe try and give her a hug, Katara simply took Suten from her, so Toph didn't have to deal with his squirming any more. Once he was seated on her knee, she used the end of her robe to wipe away the mashed apple that covered the lower half of his face.

Toph didn't need to look at her friend to know that the conversation had taken a dramatic turn. She didn't knew what to say, Katara was clearly going through something important. She wanted to do or say something to help, but didn't have any idea what to say or do. Emotions, feelings were not Toph's area of expertise, she was horrible at this kind of thing. There was only one thing she could think to say, and it seemed so pathetic. "Do you want to talk about it." deep down she hoped the waterbender would say no.

Unfortunately fro Toph, This was all Katara needed to start talking again. She also didn't need Toph to say any more to know what she was asking. "I don't know what I want. I love Aang, I always will but, it never felt...and Zuko. There is just to much that has happened, I don't know what to do next." Katara now began to rub Suten on the back, to help him digest his feed.

Again Toph found herself searching for the right words to say, and again the only thing she could come up with was so stupid, it offered no real help at all. " Aang has always love you. Zuko, I know is just as confused about your relationship as you are. You just have to do what you feel is right." Toph's left hand was now holding onto her right writs, searching for something to give her comfort, help that was no longer there.

Katara took a little comfort in what Toph said, but she was also worried that time could be running out. It had been based on politics, but Toph had almost married Zuko and Aang seemed to have formed a strong attachment to her, wanting to make it up to her as she was still the one most angry with him for the way he had just left after the war. This worried Katara because she worried that if she didn't make up her mind soon thenshe would have to choice at all. Looking at her friend now she saw how much she had grown up since the war ended, she had grown into a beautiful young lady, it wouldn't be long before Aang or Zuko saw this too, they already knew her as her as a strong, and hiden caring person. Seeing her as a pretty girl would be the second step for either of was not jealous and she didn't really see Toph as a threat, she just saw her right now as an example of all the other beautiful girls in the world that Aang or Zuko could fall in love with before she knew what she really wanted. "How do you always know what you want."

Toph was a little taken aback by the question. She had never felt really sure about what she wanted in her life. The only things she had been truly sure about was that she wanted, needed to be able to earthbendand that she had to leave with Aang and the others. The rest she had just gone along with the others, and after the war she had just done what was expected of her what she felt was right. She had really never felt less sure about what she wanted than she did now. "I have never really known, I just did, do what I feel is right. Sorry I cant be any more help." Katara leaned further back on the couch, she gave a small nodded, to say that she understood what Toph had just said. Toph was only able to slightly pick up on this gesture. "Who do you love Katara, really."

It was the use of her really name and not one of her nicknames that made Katara realise that Toph was being deadly serious about the question she was asking. So had to be serious about her answer, whatever that would be. "Honestly Toph, I don't know."

"Well I'm sure you will one day." with that Toph seemed to jump to her feet and left the house through the slid doors. That was just like Toph, Katarathought to not even give a thought to the fact that both Aang and Zuko were good looking, powerful benders with important jobs that most have hundreds of girls all across the nations that liked them, and any one of them could get their attention before she had a chance to tell them how she felt, when she knew what that was exactly. This was like Toph because Toph never thought of anyone or anything as really being a threat to her. She both admired and feared that about her earthbending friend at the same time.

"Do you have any words of wisdom for your aunt, huh." Katara lifted Suten so he was now standing on her leg facing her. "I'll take that as a no." pulling herself onto her feet again, Katara moved over to the kitchen area to clean up. "Not worry about it, I don't think the wisest spirit could even help me with this." while she was cleaning the bowl and spoon in a bucket of water, while trying to balance Suten on her knee and talking to him, Katara realised that Toph had just got up and left. Leaving her to take care of the one year old again. If she had felt guilty about thinking of Tophas any kind of a threat, even for a minute, she didn't now.

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**Thank you for reading. I know this isn't a very good part of the story, but what happens at the end of this part will lead into the the rest of the story. I'm also sorry that it has taken so long for me to update. I am planing on doing two more chapters in this part, then I will be moving onto a more interesting part. Please review and let me know what you think. Just click the little button, thank you. **


	4. Chapter 4

**the song used is lullaby for a stormy night. **

Katara didn't tell Suten another story about Toph and Aang or about anyone else from their family. She told him a story that Grangran had told her when she was young. He wasn't as intrestedin this story as he had been with the other one, but it seemed to work, he feel asleep before she had the chance to tell him how it ended. Toph had chosen to sleep on the floor of the spare room rather than outside, this was part of the reason why Katara had chosen not to tell another story like the one she told the night before. She was also sure that was part, if not the only reason that Toph had chosen to sleep in the house. The whole time Katara had been getting Suten of to sleep Toph had been in the main room of the house, she had a few scrolls spread out in font of her, they seemed to be half from or related to the earth king, and the other half Bumi.

Katara had fallen asleep before she heard Toph slip into the room to sleep herself, she was more tired than she thought she was. When the moon started to lose it's glow, Katara found herself being woken by a gentle faint sound, that she had never heard before. Once she had pulled herself up into a sitting position and her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to see a little, she realised that something very big was missing from the room.

The crib and Suten with it were no longer pushed up against the wall by the window. In a quick move without making any real sound, Katara leapt from the bed and moved towards the door. Her hand was on the door handle, when she heard more clearly the gentle sound that had woken her.

_little child, be not afraid_

_though rain ponds harshly against the glass_

_like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

The soft singing voice sounded very familiar, but Katara wouldn't believe it till she saw it with her own eyes. Now almost on her tip toes Katara made her way out of the room. The door to Sokka and Suki's room was open, Katara got as close to the door as she dared, now able to see into the room fully.

_Little child, be not afraid_

_though thunder explodes, lightning flash_

_illuminates your tear-stained face_

_I am here tonight_

Toph was holding Suten in her arms, rocking him back and forth very slowly while she sang. For a brief second Katara worried that Toph would soon realise that she was being watched, she then noticed that Toph was standing on the rug that covered the floor at the end of the bed. This gave her a little comfort as Toph's ability to feel vibrations was hindered a little. In moon was only a half moon that night, so it only gave a little light to the room. In the faint moonlight Katara saw a look that she had never seen on her friends face before, a look of calm. She also saw now strangely more clearly how much her friend had grown up, the look of calm maturate on her face, though new seemed to fit so well.

_And someday you'll know_

_that nature is so _

_the same rain that draws you near me _

_falls on river and land_

_on forests and sand _

_makes the beautiful world that you'll see _

_in the morning _

The voice that was now filling the room, was so unlike the idea of who the person that was signing with it, that it was very hard for the waterbender to join them together as one in her head. Toph's signing was soft and very gentle, not like her normal snaky strong speaking voice. Though her voice over the years had softened, it was not enough to explain the voice that Katara was hearing now. After listening to it for a little longer Toph's new voice seemed to fit her a little better. Toph was always the smallest member of the group in every way, such a sweet voice went with that view of her. a veiw that she had been trying to destroy her whole life.

_little child, not be afraid_

_through storm clouds mask the beloved moon _

_and it's candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams _

_I am here tonight_

The words of the lullaby were too planed out for Toph to be making them up as she went along. She must have heard this lullaby before. An image came to her head of Toph as a baby being sung that same lullaby by her mother. Her step mother, really. Zuko had told her about Toph's real mother, what had happened to her after Iron's death. He told her as a way to explain why he couldn't accept Toph's help then. Katara had always been a little jealous that Toph had a mother, and a little annoyed that she didn't seem to appreciate it at all. Zuko said that Toph had only found out the truth about her birth mother just over two years ago, but Katara wondered if maybe in some way she had always known. That that was part of the reason why she felt so disconnected from her parents. Then it must have been some kind of maid that sang it to her. The line about, in the morning you will see a beautiful world seemed a little cruel to sign to a blind child. Maybe it took a while for her blindness to be known, though she didn't see how that could be the case.

_little child be not afraid _

_through wing makes creatures of out trees_

_and the branches to hands, they're not real, understand_

_and I am here tonight_It was silly but Katara found her eyes now drifting from the earthbender and one year old in her arms, to the window. Of course there was no shadows of shapes made by a tree, only the faint out line of the house next door. Seeing Toph acting so differently yet normally, like the now young adult she was, made her think about how different she might be. Aang had seemed different when he returned, she hadn't seen him in a while, what seemed like a long while maybe he too had grown up. The more she thought about that the more she felt uneasy about it. To her Aang was and always would be a happy overly cheerful child, who seemed to just be able to get through everything that he had to with shear optimism. She had to keep thinking of him that way, because that was how she knew him best and the idea that she might not know him that well any more was far to painful for her to let herself really think about.

_for you know, once even I was a_

_little child, and I was afraid_

_but a gentle someone always came _

_to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears_

_and to give a kiss goodnight _

This brought a little smile to her face. It seemed like the maid, or who ever may or may not have sang the lullaby to Toph had been sung it as as child too, maybe. Now Toph was signing it to help put a child to sleep, caring on the tradition. An odd thought crossed her mind, would Toph then sign it to her own children, would she even have children. This lead her down a odd line of thought, Toph really married with children, who would she marry was the thought that now came to the front of her mind. She had been very close to marring Zuko, if they had gone through with it, would they have children how. Katara tried to imagine Zuko and Toph as a family with children, a little over a year ago she couldn't get the image clearly in her head. They were far to alike hotheaded, stubborn and strangely mature for their age. That last one could be said about all of them really, they had had top grow up much faster than most people. Oddly the image of Zuko as a father stayed in her head. He was clearly meant to have a family around him, if for nothing else than to give him something in his life to give him real happiness and peace from the pressure of his job.

_well now I am grown_

_and those years have shown _

_that rain's a part of how life goes _

_but it's dark and it's late _

_so I'll hold you and wait_

_till your frightened eyes close _

Now listening to the words of the song seemed a little sad to Katara, it also seemed to explain a little more about Toph. She excepted the bad things in life as just being a part of the way life was. Being blind, not knowing her mother and the death that she had felt during the war, that was all part of life. Maybe it was a coincidence or maybe Toph had really taken on board the words that may have been sung to her as a child. The idea that as a baby Toph had been frightened by thunder, not so much lightning as she couldn't see it, made a lot of sense. Katara remembered one night during the war, when they had been staying in the western air temple, she had found it hard to sleep because of the heavy rain accompanied with thunder and lightning. She saw Toph and Aang sighting down on the edge of the temple, were the rain poured in front of them looking like a waterfall. It seemed to Katara that Toph too hadn't been able to sleep either and Aang was trying to make her feel a little less uneasy about the thunder. She had turned over to try and sleep again, and caught a glimpse of Zuko doing the same thing. That she would look back on as the moment that she started to really soften towards him, because it felt to her like they had made a unsaid pact to always look after the two youngest members of the group, family.

_and hope that you'll know _

Katara was now trying to picture her mother in her mind, but the picture that she had always been able to bring to mind was not as clearly forth-coming. She knew that Sokka had long ago been unable to she her clearly, she had always hoped that she would be spared that pain. The idea that her friend, that was so close to her know, was probably going through the same thing. She had really never been able to see or know her mother, was made a little more painful because she wasn't able to say anything about it to Toph. Zuko had asked, more like begged really that she wouldn't say anything to Toph about her mother, when he told her. So a strong sense of loyalty to Zuko would keep her mouth closed on the fact that she knew something Toph had wanted to keep secret. This didn't mean that she wouldn't gentle try to get Toph to open up about it.

_everything's fine in the morning _

_the rain'll be gone in the morning _

_but I'll still be here in the morning_

This was in fact the third time that Toph had, had to sign the lullaby the whole way through. While she had been going over a trade treaty she had heard Suten waking up. She tried to ignore it, hoping that Katara would take care of it. When it began to get on her nerves she slipped into the spare room to find out what was going on. She could tell that Katara was sound asleep, so reluctantly she crept into the room, picked up the crib, which was lighter than she expected it would be. She though that maybe he was having hared time sleeping in a different room, so she brought him back to his normal room, picked him up and sang the only lullaby she knew.

After signing the lullaby a fourth and final time Toph placed the now dozing Suten back in his crib. Before she had a chance to turn round a leave the room, to return to the main room to get back to her work, Katara was able to return to the spare room. She was fairly sure that Toph hadn't noticed her being there, watching her, but she still worried. The lullaby seemed to play over and over again her head, and little her nephew helped her drift off to sleep.

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**thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. This maybe the closest I ever get to really writing a song fic, so I hope it was ok. I feel I should point out that the memory that Katara has about the thunder at the western air temple is one that Zuko too remembers in part 4 of the story, chapter 5 at the very start. The last chapter will be the last one, then on to the next part. Please let me know what you think, I would love to know. **


	5. Chapter 5

Despite being the hight of summer and having the sun beating down on them, the two young friends still felt the chill of the wind blowing strongly over the deck of the boat. The boat was now more than half way through its journey from Kyoshi Island to the earth kingdom, if Katara would lift her head from looking down at the water moving below her, she would be able to make out the coast line. Toph like her waterbending friend had her head lowered to the water, but not for the same reason. Katara was trying to build up the courage to say what she had wanted to say to Toph since she had talked herself into thinking it was a good idea. Taking a deep breath she lifted her head, finally seeing the coast line. "I heard you signing last night." her head had lifted, but it didn't turn to look at the earthbender next to her.

Toph's head didn't move, nor did any other part of her body really, if Katara had dared to look she might have seen her hand clench a little tighter to the railing she was holding. The silence that now followed her comment was becoming to much. She had tried to play the bring up of the subject like Toph had done yesterday, about her story, but she was able to act as calmly as her friend "It was a a really lovely song. Did your mother sign it to you."

A slight laugh from the earthbender cased the waterbender to finally turn to look at her "No, my step mother didn't sign it to me." though she couldn't see it, Toph knew that a look of confusion would be working its way across Katara's face right now. "I know that you know. That Zuko told you." before Katara to make her open mouth formulate any words, Toph clarifier a little. "He told you that Poppy isn't my real mother, that my real mother died giving birth to me."

"It was the fire nation they..." Katara was just able to stop herself form going on. She had thought that all of the anger that she had felt towards the fire nation had slowly slipped away from her over the years. She knew that she couldn't blame the whole nation for the actions of one person, but this anger was never going to go away, the anger of a child that lost a parent. It didn't matter who she lashed out at really, or who she blamed she just needed someone or something to focus all of that emotion onto.

"You know better than that Katara." the tone to her voice made the older girl feel like she was being told of by a parent. It was starting to sink in how much Toph had really grown up. "When did he tell you, how long have you known."

The waterbender's head was again cast down, looking at the sea. "After Iroh...he said that you."

"I get it, he said that I was already grieving so that was why he was pushing me towards Aang." the use of Zuko's real name and her name hadn't seemed odd to her. Toph more often than not used their real names now, but when she said Aang's name there was the smallest hint of bitterness. She had hoped that things between the two youngest members of the group were getting better, but they seemed to be just as bad as before. In truth they had never been that close when they all were travelling together, they were to different and to similar in a few ways to be able to get along to well. This truth troubled Katara more now then in the past. "I don' care that you know. I thought I would, but I don't, just don't ever bring it up again. I really don't want to talk about it." before Katara had the chance to say anything in protest. Toph spoke to silence her on the subject once and fro all. "You might think that now we have something big in common...but we don't. You lost a mother, I didn't. I never knew her, so I cant grieve or miss something that I never had.

There was really nothing for Katara to say to that. She had hoped to get Toph to open up about her mother by bring up the lullaby, that seemed to have failed completely. It was that reason that she had brought the subject of the song up in the first place. She knew the pain that Toph most being feeling and wanted to help her, she knew all to well the help that having someone to talk to about it with was. Zuko had also told her what Toph had told him happened to the person that had killed her mother. She had tracked him down again, planed to kill him but couldn't go through with it in the end. She did say though that she had left him permanently wounded. She didn't give any more details.

"So, who sang it to you." Katara had picked up on the way Toph could just change the subject when she was trying to make the point that she no longer wanted to continue the conversation she was having. "Someone must have sang it to you. You couldn't have made it up on the spot."

"She was...I think my maid you would say. She looked after me when I was a child. Then she left, I don't know what happened to her. I used to be scared of thunder when I was young, that was what it was about." Katara never expected Toph to say that much, tell her that much. It was a balancing out, Toph felt guilty that she had so callously cut Katara off when she had been trying to tell her that she understood what she must be feeling about the loss of her mother.

While she had been talking Toph had moved round so she was leaning on the rail, her back to to the now very visible cost line of the earth kingdom. Katara did the same thing not long after. A few seconds later Toph let out a faint laugh, that she tried to hold back by keeping her mouth tightly closed. The laughter was infectious, as Katara began to laugh as-well. To anyone else it would have seemed very strange that the two girls would start to laugh after a conversation like the one they hadjust had, but to Toph and Katara it made a lot of sense. It was the feeling of relief that they had, had the conversation in the first place.

"So, is it going to be east or west once we dock, sweetness."

Unlike the last time she couldn't think of what to say, she was able to get one word out. "What.."

"In the east there is a stupid airhead, that has always been in love with you. The avatar, on the down side though he is a bit of a coward and if things get tough he might take of again. In the west there is, I am told a tall dark handsome man. That you have had the hots for since you first saw him, I bet. The fore lord, Downside he can be a little self-loathing."

Knowing full well that her friend couldn't see her, Katara still turned away from her to hid the blush that was turning her face a bright shade of red. "Toph, we have talked about this yester..."

"Yeah I know, but you still have to chose." Toph had now crossed her arms in front of her, leaning further back onto the rail. To other passengers that saw them on the boat, Toph would have looked like the one that was being made to talk about a subject she was uncomfortable with not Katara.

"Why do I have to chose, and why now." Katara's voice was a little louder than she meant it to be. Her face now turned redder with embarrassment. The only consolation was that at lest Toph couldn't see that, this in turn however made her feel guilty. So she felt her mouth tighten, as she prepared to listen to what she knew was going to be a harsh telling off from Toph, one that now she felt a little like she deserved.

"You don't think they are just going to wait around for you forever do you. From what I have overheard, Zuko is hot and Aang is cute. They are also the avatar and the fire lord. There must be hundreds of other girls out there that like them and will do something about it. You are also not getting any younger. Aang and I are seven-teen and Zuko is almost twenty, you are what then, nineteen."

"I'm only eighteen."

"Sorry, no need to get so touchy. Just because your the old hag of the group."

She knew very well that this was just Toph trying to get a reaction out of her, so she would make her choice. She wanted to be the bigger person and not let it get to her, but she couldn't help herself "Suki is older than me, and married with a kid. I am not an old hag."

Toph didn't seem to flinch at all at the yelling of the older girl a mere couple of inches from her. "That was harsh, she is your sister in law after all." wanting to make Katara feel that she wasn't being watched, Toph turned round again to face the quickly approaching earth kingdom. She didn't really want to be forcing all of this onto her friend like this, but this had been going on for far to long and she wanted to put a end to it. "What I was saying it that we are adults now." she didn't need to see it to know that Katara was giving her a dis-believing look right now. "Or close enough. You are even starting to see me as a threat now, right." Katara let her head fall to the wooden deck. "Its aright,I get it. Zuko and I were almost married and Aang seems to have mad it his new mission to get me to stop hating him."

"Do you hate him, really." as she asked the question, she realised how much she needed to know the answer. Though she didn't now why.

"If he had really learned anything from the training I gave him, then he would have now right from the start. When I meet him outside the palace, that I don't hate him. I'm just disappointed, I thought he was better than that." Toph took in one deep, long breath before she went on. "I said to you, what was it...a year, a little more, that if you could say that you loved either one of them. Then you would get to call the shouts in this kind of situation."

Before she could go one, Katara had another question. "But you said that you loved Zuko, so..."

"Yes that's right,I said I loved Zuko, I love all of you guys. I never said that I was in love with him, or any one else. Unlike you, you are in love with one of them. You have been all this time, but you just don't know which one."

A comfortable silence filled the air around them and mixed with the cold breeze cutting across the boat deck. Katara inhaled the cold sea air, and let her blue eyes gently close. Then a few seconds later she opened them again. "Ok." her voice was so low, no one but Toph with her heightened hearing would have been able to hear it.

She really didn't have to say any more than that, Toph knew what she was saying. Katara had finally made her choice. Toph allowed her a minute of contentment having finally made a decision, but she couldn't stay quiet for long. She wanted to now the answer to the question almost as much as Aang or Zuko and Katara herself. "Who is it."

"Not telling." her voice seemed older now. Toph wondered if that had anything to do with now that she had chosen, she could now move on, onto the next chapter in her life.

"Is it east or west."

"I told you Toph, I am not telling. I think he should be the first to know."

"Yeah, yeah that is really sweet, but just tell me." Katara was trying very hard to suppress the laughter that was building up. She very rarely got the chance to have the upper hand with Toph. "Right now my life revolves around paper work and meetings. I need some excitement, life is to boring."

Giving her friend a nudge on the arm and a warm smile Katara filled the few inches between them. "You know you can have some excitement in your life to if..."

"You would have to tell me which one you chose before..."

"Nice try, shorty."Katara wrapped her arm around Toph's shoulder pulling her on for a hug. "I know you don't like either of them that way."

They spent the last few minutes of their trip in silence. Before they spilt up, Katara pulled Toph in for a prober hug and whispered thank you in her ear. Toph quietly wished her good luck. Once she knew what discretion she was going, she knew that she had made the right choice. They had both been meant to travel north, Toph to Omashu and Katara to the north pole. Toph would now make the trip along. This she found as she started out, was really a good thing. She could get into a lot more trouble without having to put up with Katara's nagging.

When Katara finally started to walk about the stars leading to the palace entrance. She had lost count of the number of times she had walked up these stars. The first time had been the most memorable, for the wrong reasons. This time she hoped would be memorable too, but for the right reasons. That was if she wasn't to late. The palace was unnaturally empty and a chill seemed to run through it. She picked up her pace, needed the warmth that she hoped would be at her distinction.

She found him were she knew he would be, out side getting some fresh air. Most-likely taking a break a moment of peace from his stressful job. She was able to get within a few feet of him before he turned round to face her, finally aware of her presence. She had thought someone like him would have been quicker. His mouth opened to speak, but she took one large step forward, placing her hand over his mouth. She needed to get this out without him saying a word.

"I love you." a warm smile spread across her face as she said those three little words. "I'm sorry it has taken me so long to say that, I'm sorry if I'm to late. I just needed to say it, for you to know. I think I have always loved you, I was just scared and there was so much going on. I know that a lot has happened and you might...I don't even know how you feel about me."

He took hold of her wrist that connected to the hand that covered his mouth. He gentle pulled her hand down to her side. He was stronger than that she knew, but he was tying to be gentle with her. Her mouth opened a little to speak, but before any words could come out, he bridged the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers. Once she relaxed a little she let herself sink into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hand held her tightly around her waist. This was all the answer that she needed from him. He didn't have to say he loved her too, that he wanted to be with her and that she was differently not to late.

When they finally pulled away, she rested her head on his chest. He stroked her on the back of the head for a minute, before she pulled back to really let herself look at him. His eyes had never looked so open to her before. His most recognisable feature seemed to be less noticeable to her now, she was seeing him the real him now. Zuko smiled down at her, looking into her deep blue eyes that also to him looked more open than ever before. "I love you too."

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**hey, so that was the last chapter in this part of the story. I hope you liked it. I know that most people already now which one Katara was going to chose, I just wanted to make it a little more interesting for the people that are just reading this story as I am rewriting it or have just read this part on its own. I would love to know what you think of this part if the story, or just this chapter, so please click the little button and let me know. Thank you. **


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